Tools for gripping and supporting articles



J1me 1967 c. H. SCHETZER 3,3

TOOLS FOR GRIPPING AND SUPPORTING ARTICLES Filed March 1, 1965 gmmmmzg zp INVENTOR. CHARLES H. SCHETZER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,323,787 T OOLS FOR GRIPPING AND SUPPORTING ARTICLES Charles H, Sehetzer, 17th and Caldwell, Apt. 7, Goodland, Kans. 67735 Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. N 435,883 3 Claims. (Cl. 269-4) This invention relates to a spring-loaded tool more particularly designed for use by electronic technicians and other mecahuics for clamping and holding wires and other small parts in place to facilitate connecting and soldering operations.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and highly efficient hand clamp which can be held and completely operated by one hand leaving the other hand free for manipulating a tool such as a soldering iron or torch upon the work.

A further object is to provide a universally, movable bench-mounted holder in which the above hand clamp tool can be quickly and easily placed and which can be fixedly mounted on a bench or other supporting surface for holding the clamp and the work in any desired fixed position.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the hand clamp assembled in its holder and in position for use;

FIG 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail, longitudinal section, taken on the line 3, FIG. 2, through the clam per se, removed from the holder; and

FIG. 4 is a detail, enlarged, cross-section through the hand clamp, taken on the line 4-4, FIG. 3.

The hand clamp portion of the device comprises an elongated, resilient, metal strip which is bent in a close U-shape to form two similar side members and 11 joined at their rear extremities by a bight 12. An elongated clamping bar 13 is slidably positioned between the two side members 10 and 11. The clamping bar 13 is provided with a stem portion 14 which extends rearwardly through a guide opening 15 in the bight 12 to support the rear extremity of the clamping bar between the side members 1t) and 11. The forward extremity of the clamping bar is supported and guided by means of a clamp bolt 16 which extends through and between the side members and through a longitudinally elongated guide slot 17 adjacent the forward extremity of the clamping bar 13. The clamp bolt 16 is preferably provided with a tensioning spring 34 to maintain the side plates in frictional engagement with the clamping bar.

The clamping bar is constantly urged rearwardly by means of a compression spring 18, which is maintained in position in a longitudinally-elongated spring slot 19 in the clamping bar 13 by the side members 10 and 11. A finger bolt 2% extends through the side members 10 and 11 and through a spacer bushing 21 which is positioned in the forward extemity of the spring slot 19. The spring 18 is compressed between the rear extremity of the spring slot 19 and the spacer bushing 21 to resiliently and continuously urge the clamping bar 13 to its rearmost position. The rear extremity of the stem portion 14 is provided with a palm knob 22 and the finger bolt 29 is provided with two finger sleeves 23 and 24 which surround the bolt and project oppositelyoutward from the clamp. The finger 3,323,787 Patented June 6, 1967 sleeve 23 is clamped against the side member 10 by the head of the bolt 20 and the finger sleeve 24 is similarly clamped against the side member 11 by means of a tubular, screw-driver-slotted nut 25 threaded onto the threaded extremity of the bolt.

The clamp may be conveniently and securely held in the hand by placing the palm knob 22 in the palm of the hand with the first and second fingers hooked over and about the finger sleeves 23 and 24. Thus the side members 10 and '11 can be drawn rearwardly on the clamping bar 13, against the bias of the spring 18, by simply contracting the supporting hand.

The clamping bar is provided with spaced work-gripping notches 26 and 27 in its upper edge and adjacent its forward extremity. The side members 10 and 11 are provided with aligned side work-gripping notches 28 which align with the notch 26, when the clamping bar is fully retracted againts the spring 18 and which fully close the notch 26 when the clamping bar is released. The forward extremities of the side members are positioned to close the notch 27 when the clamping bar is fully retracted. The latter extremities are notched, as indicated at 35 to grip the work. The rear extremities of the work-gripping notches 28 are inclined rearwardly, as indicated at 29, and the forward extremities of the notches 26 and 27 are inclined forwardly, as indicated at 30, to exert a wedging and gripping action on the work.

It is believed that the use of the hand clamp will be apparent from the above. Briefly, the clamp is held in one hand. The hand is then contracted to receive the work, such as two wires, indicated at 31 and 32, to be soldered together. The wires 31 and 32 are placed in either set of aligned work-receiving notches and the hand-clamping action is released sufliciently to allow the spring to urge the side members 10 and 11 forwardly to close the notches and grip the Work. The completed work is released by simply contracting the hand.

The lower edge of the clamping bar and the lower edges of the side members are preferably vertically narrowed at their forward extremities as illustrated at 33 to facilitate their insertion into intricate work.

For convenience a holder is provided for use exclusively with the above described tool as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The holder comprises a base fitting 36, adapted to be mounted on a work bench or other supporting surface by screws or bolts inserted through suitable screw holes 37, and having two upstanding ears 51 which support a hinge bolt 38. A post 39, having a flattened lower extremity 49, is tiltably mounted on the hinge bolt 38, between suitable spacing Washers 41, and can be clamped in any desired vertical-angular position by means of a suitable wing nut 42. The upper extremity of the post terminates in a universal ball joint 43 against the opposite sides of which the rear extremities of two flat, elongated side arms 44 are clamped by means of suitable clamp bolt 45 and wing nut 46. The side arms are maintained in alignment with each other by an intermediate bolt 47 passing through both of the arms. The forward extremities of the side arms are bifurcated in alignment with each other, by means of furcations 48. The previously described tool is slid between the forward extremities of the arms 44 with the finger sleeves 23 and 24 projecting outwardly through the furcations 48 and the tool is clamped in any desired angular position between the side arms by means of a second clamp bolt 49 which also passes through the furcations and which is provided with a second wing nut 50.

It can be seen that the universality of movement of the above holder allows the work held in the gripping tool to be positioned and held in any desired position.

It is preferred to form the hand clamp portion of the device from aluminum to prevent the adherence of solder. The use of aluminum also facilitates the use of the invention as a heat sink for dissipating heat from wires being soldered to heat sensitive transistors and the like.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that the usual hand clamp or vise cannot grip two wires of differing diameters simultaneously. With the use of this improved clamp each of two differing diameter wires will be wedged against the inclined sides of the gripping notches so that both will be tightly gripped. For exceeding close detailed work the bolt 16 may be replaced by a tubular rivet to conserve space at the tip of the tool.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A work-clamping tool comprising: two flat-elongated side members; a bight joining said side members in parallel relation at their rear extremities; 'a work-receiving notch formed in the upper edge of each side member; said notches being aligned with each other; a fiat, elongated, clamping bar slidably-positioned between said two side members; a Work-gripping notch formed in the upper edge of said clamping bar; manually-operated means for relatively and longitudinally sliding said side members and said clamping bar to align said work-gripping notch with said work-receving notches in said side members, resilient means urging said work-clamping notch out of alignment with said work-receiving notches to exert a clamping action on the work; said manually operated means comprising a stem formed on the rear extremity of said clamping bar and extending rearwardly and slidably through a guide opening in said bight; a hand-engaging knob formed on the rear extremity of said stern; said resilient means comprising a compression spring positioned in a longitudinally-extending spring slot in said clamping bar; and a bolt element fixed'to and extending between and through said side members and through the forward extremity of said spring slot, said spring being compressed between said bolt and the rear extremity of said spring slot to constantly urge said clamping bar rearwardly.

2. A work-clamping tool as described in claim 1 in which said bolt projects oppositely outward from the side members and having finger sleeves mounted on the projecting extremities of said bolt to be engaged by the fingers of the hand engaging said knob.

3. A work-clamping tool comprising: two fiat, elongated, aligned, spaced-apart side members joined at their rear extremities and extending forwardly in substantially parallel relation; 21 flat, elongated clamping bar longitudinally slidable between said side members; means acting to maintain said side members and said clamping bar in horizontal alignment; a work-receiving notch formed in the upper edge of said clamping bar; spring-actuated means urging said side members forwardly to tend to close the opposite sides of said notch to grip the work therein; a fitting adapted to be mounted on a supporting surface; a post pivotally and lockably mounted on said fitting; a ball fixedly carried on said post; two elongated, flat side arms clamped at their rear extremities on opposite sides of said ball and receiving said combined side members between their forward extremities; and means for drawing said side arms toward each other to clamp said side members in place.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,267 7/1916 Bond Q 269-71 1,539,221 5/1925 Tennant 269-254 X 1,933,718 11/1933 Devincenzi.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner. V

LESTER M. SWINGLE, Examiner. J. F. MCKEOWN, Assistant Examiner; 

1. A WORK-CLAMPING TOOL COMPRISING TWO FLAT-ELONGATED SIDE MEMBERS; A BIGHT JOINING SAID SIDE MEMBERS IN PARALLEL RELATION AT THEIR REAR EXTREMITIES; A WORK-RECEIVING NOTCH FORMED IN THE UPPER EDGE OF EACH SIDE MEMBER, SAID NOTCHES BEING ALIGNED WITH EACH OTHER; A FLAT, ELONGATED, CLAMPING BAR SLIDABLY-POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID TWO SIDE MEMBERS; A WORK-GRIPPING NOTCH FORMED IN THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID CLAMPING BAR; MANUALLY-OPERATED MEANS FOR RELATIVELY AND LONGITUDINALLY SLIDING SAID SIDE MEMBERS AND SAID CLAMPING BAR TO ALIGN SAID WORK-GRIPPING NOTCH WITH SAID WORK-RECEIVING NOTCHES IN SAID SIDE MEMBERS, RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID WORK-CLAMPING NOTCH OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID WORK-RECEIVING NOTCHES TO EXERT A CLAMPING ACTION ON THE WORK; SAID MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS COMPRIS- 